Join us on Tuesday
, December 11, for a visit from a very special team of four-legged care givers… Strong P.E.T.S. (Pets Engaged in Therapeutic Socialization). We can assure you there’ll be plenty of wagging tails and cold noses, and maybe even some barking…definitely not your typical afternoon in the library (although we do regularly “Tweet”)!
December 11 will be our first Strong P.E.T.S. event. But under their “Campus Canines” alias, this group has helped de-stress River Campus students on a number of occasions. Want a warm-and-fuzzy sneak peak? Take a look at this YouTube video (2:10).
Beyond the benefits o
f animal-human interaction like lower blood pressure and reduced stress, turns out interacting with animals can increase our level of oxytocin, a hormone that helps us feel happy and trusting. Awesome!
Pet therapist Ann Lacey has been a therapy dog handler since 1982 and founded the Strong P.E.T.S. program at Strong Memorial Hospital in 2000. For more information about Strong P.E.T.S., Campus Canines, or Tales for Tails programs, visit URMC Today or contact Friends of Strong at (585) 275-2420.
Submitted by Susan Andersen
